By T. Stokes

Consultant palmist

As a child, growing up in the 1950’s in East London, I lived in a haunted house. It was a scary old place, 200 years old, and had once been used as a butcher shop and slaughterhouse, and the feel of death still permeated

the whole place, Alone in my bed at night, my room came alive with visitors my parents and siblings could not see. I had many eerie encounters in that house, strong visions of past happenings. My mother was afraid of my abilities and her fears scared me.

When my father returned from World War II, I was born in the baby boom soon after, and sent to attend a Roman Catholic orphanage school. It was a frightening

place for a seven year old boy, but it’s also where my innate inner wisdom, began to bear fruit and then, emerged in a magical moment.

One day, we were lined up for lunch. The nuns barked out orders as if we were in the army. “Forward, march! Stand at ease!�?We stood at strict attention as the boy at the head of the queue turned and raised his hand to ensure silence for the head nun. My mind’s eye was instantly drawn in and transported to a place where vision upon vision were transposed onto his hand. I watched in awe as his life unfurled with a quick flash of pictures and swirling colours. I felt a surge of emotion and joy as I saw him with a white flower in his buttonhole. The movie blipped forward to when he was older, heavier, with small children. I felt his humour, love, anxiety, worry, deep grief and pride...all the emotions of his life revealed to me in mere seconds.

I was stunned. I stood with my bony knees quaking.

I was both confused and upset by what I saw. The strange thing is, this lad who had switched me on was named Hobbs, which in medieval English meant small devil or sprite. Exactly what my mother thought of my earlier visions.

This was my turning point. These children, who used to ignore me, would now line up on the playground to have me read their hands. I could visualize future careers, self image, family... all worries would be exposed to me. Suddenly, I, a scrawny, malnourished, unloved and ugly child, when switched on, was the playground celebrity.

My superstar status did not sit well with the nuns. The head nun overheard me saying to be kind to trees as they were live creatures too, she pulled me by me ear into her office, locked the door and smugly demanded me to read her palm. I was terrorized by these black cloaked creatures, who shrieked curses at us, but I saw her life in her palm and through a shaky voice told her she had been in a bad relationship with a violent man

who left her when the baby was born dead. She had

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come to the convent to find peace and solace.

She was momentarily dumb struck, her trembling hands thrust into her mouth as her eyes bulged at me. When she regained her composure, she promptly thrashed me with a stick. The beating did not stop my innate gift.

I have been reading palms for the last fifty years, hand prints sent to me from all over the world. One of my most intriguing memories is when I read hands to raise money for children at a special school in Essex county in England some 25 years ago. I do not remember

faces but I never forget a hand. Among the people lined up for a reading, was an old school colleague, now as she told me, a popular actress.

She took my card and I promised to read for a few of her friends. One evening, she picked me up in a sleek, posh car and as we were driven out in the wilds of Essex,

she asked if she could blindfold me. I was surprised

but complied. The blindfold was removed as we arrived at a luxurious estate with landscaped grounds. As we entered, I noticed that the oak panelled hall was almost as big as my whole house!

The people inside were a mix of royalty, the rich and famous. Some I recognised and many I did not. One fancy woman introduced herself, wagging a diamond on her finger as big as my eyeball. I could never imagine

such wealth and ostentation in my wildest dreams.

As the evening continued, I met a beautiful young woman with a shy smile and read her palm. The evening

ended and I was again blindfolded for my journey

home. I have been asked many times what I said to the shy lady that was to become Princess Diana, but the confidentiality of the psychic is no different to the promise of the priest and the psychiatrist, for a good psychic is a good deal of both. I will only say her hand showed she suffered from anxiety and worried

what others thought of her. But it also showed a feminine sensitivity which she viewed as a detriment. I thought it was a lovely feature.

I have never spoken at length of Diana’s readings, although at my talks I do show some famous hand-prints if they are relevant.One day I may even publish her hand-print.

Palmistry is often associated with gypsies and other charlatans, and this is unfortunate. As a skilled reader, I can reach into a soul and enumerate the difficulties seen, and offer advice. Most of my job is counselling. Your current rung on the ladder of life on which you stand, is the most important even though many just want to view their future.

The hand contains many secrets, some from long ago.

Secrets you Hold in your Hand

1. Effects of past karma

2. Childhood joys and traumas.

3. Emotional patterns that burden you.

4. Illness

5. Your career destination

6. Intellectual landscape

7. Soul purpose

8. Emotional motivation

9. Compatibility and relationship

10. General future trends

EDITOR’S NOTE: Following my contact with Ted Stokes, I expressed some doubt about palmistry being a spiritual activity and asked some questions. Here is his reply:

Hi Jim, Thank you for allowing me to speak. If I can help people to see things from a broader spectrum, I will be happy.

Question One asks if palmistry is a spiritual science. It is considered both an art and a science, it is a mirror

to the soul, the emotions, the health, in fact all that pertains to the person in all facets. The soul type, because there are types, and the assessment of the chakras, are part of any reading, and how they affect the person.

(2) For many years I have been at the forefront here in Britain of a movement against psychic fraud, both personal, postal and telephone. It is an uphill battle.

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In fact with a member of parliament I drew up the present guidelines, to try and change the law. I have also lobbied for certification and a code of ethics for all readers, and spiritual advisors.

Some 30 years ago i gave a demonstration at my spiritual centre of how a fraud works, many insisted it must be genuine, and would not accept it as fraud. There are rules to follow if you want a genuine reading,

these must be understood (email me for this ).

(3) At my spirit lectures I always recommend further reading. Two such books are by Allen Kardec, “The Spirits Book�?and “The Mediums Book.�?Always raise your thoughts to the highest. Some spiritual people deny the lower realms, but I believe in knowing what can go wrong, as it has often been me to put things right afterwards.

Education is vital to know the signs to watch for. This is actually more controversial than palm reading and my articles in the periodials, “Voice and View,�?”Psychic

News�?and psychic world�?have alerted people to what can happen, many do not want to know, some deny any lower spirits exist.

(4) Unfortunately palmistry is all things to all men, from the gypsies to the party hustler, A good place to start to know what palmistry is is to read carl Jung and

Julius Spear’s studies on “psycho-chirology�?which is the mind and hand linkage, Charlotte Wolfes�?book, “The Human Hand�?is also very good.

(5 ) I can remember making certain decisions before birth about my life to be. Bear in mind that insurance companies can tell by examining the D.N.A not

only what diseases you will develop but when, they can even tell the approximate length of life pretty closely. This data has been seized on by the British C.B.I ( Confederation of British Industry ) to know who to employ and who not to. Some lines do change and some do not.

Palmistry is a valuable tool in counseling and advice, but one man’s path is not another’s, we need to tailor advice to hand, You mention free will ... no simplistic answers here, our parentage, schooling, religious instruction,

medication and experience will all influence us against free will, Carl Jung said: “Any degree of learning will narrow horizons�?e.g the more we know the less we know, the deeper the education the less free one is to arrive at an opinion. It could be said the opionion makes the decision. not you. (look up

reductionism)

(6) Yes, guidance is always there for us from spirit. I do feel strongly that we need our own contact with spirit, and not through sectarian priests or authority figures. I have always tried to teach people to look inside themselves for answers, not from outside.

With my work at the alternatives clinic I have said that just as an athlete can train his body, so we can train our mind and spirit to achieve great feats.

Finally you say “surely we are making the future daily with our free will �?Where was this free will when we develop heart disease or cancer, or when loved ones are struck down with depression, alcoholism crime and such like, or when we are thrown out of work,

For me and what I see, some things are laid down and some are not, that is where palmistry can help, but remember what a palmist does not say can be more important than what they do, bacause tact, care and diplomacy are all.

But talk achieves little, why don’t I put my ability where my mouth is ? Send me anonymous handprints, and I will give you the life. Let me know if we can do this

Very best wishes T.Stokes

EDITOR’S NOTE: If a reader would like to submit handprints to Ted, send them to me. Send e-mail to [email protected].